Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThe Emotional Impact of EczemaThe Anxiety, Stress, Eczema CycleAddressing Sleep DeprivationExercise Benefits and ChallengesSupport Groups for EczemaPsychological Therapy for Eczema
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
The Emotional Impact of Eczema
The Anxiety, Stress, Eczema Cycle
Addressing Sleep Deprivation
Exercise Benefits and Challenges
Support Groups for Eczema
Psychological Therapy for Eczema
Eczemadoes not simply involve having skin discomfort. It can have a profound impact on a person’s mental health, emotional state, and overall well-being. Eczema is a term for a group of related skin conditions that cause red, dry, itchy skin that can become scaly, blistered, crusted, or thickened.
A hallmarksymptom of eczemaisextreme itchinessthat often keeps a person awake at night. Not only does eczema disrupt a person’s sleep pattern, it can interfere with daily life and take an emotional toll.
For example, people with eczema are often unable to wear certain types of clothing, makeup, or other cosmetics. Often, the rash appearspredominately on the face, causing embarrassment and for some, extreme problems with self-image.
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What Is Atopic Dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis is the most common form of eczema. In fact, of the nearly 31 million cases of eczema in the U.S., 18 million adults and 10 million children have atopic dermatitis.
The scaly, reddened rash can appear anywhere on the body, but most often appears on the face, hands, elbows and knees. In those who are dark-skinned, eczema can affect the skin’s pigmentation, turning the skin a lighter or darker shade.
Atopic Dermatitis Causes and Diagnosis
It’s not always obvious how much impact eczema can have on a person’s daily life. Coping with eczema is something that many people with the condition (particularly young people) find challenging. The negative emotional effects of the symptoms can last for many years, even after the physical symptoms subside.
Eczema can affect people at any age, but it’s usually diagnosed during infancy or childhood. Statistically, nearly 10% to 20% of all infants will develop eczema; approximately half of those who are diagnosed with the condition will outgrow it, having fewer symptoms as they age.
But some people continue to have eczema throughout their adult lifetime. Studies have found that people with eczema report that the condition negatively impacts their lives, exceeding those who have insulin-dependent diabetes.
Emotions and Childhood Eczema
Eczema has an impact on the emotional health of children, as well as on their parents and family members. Physically, any eczema breakout (small or large) can result in extreme discomfort and can sometimes be very painful.
Those with moderate to severe eczema report that the disease dramatically disturbs sleep, activities (including school and sports, and impacts their performance level in daily life). Common emotional symptoms of eczema in children, caregivers, and family members include:
The overall emotional impact of eczema can be a lifetime of challenges in maintaining a sense of self-esteem and self-worth.
Eczema in Children
Emotional Symptoms of Eczema
Eczema is known to cause several emotional symptoms, including:
Overall, eczema is said to be “emotionally draining,” according to the American Osteopathic Association.
Signs of Depression
Common signs and symptoms of depression may include:
It’s important to note that not everyone with depression will have all of the symptoms; some people experience just a few symptoms while others have many symptoms. A diagnosis of depression requires that a person has several ongoing (persistent) symptoms (listed), in addition to a low mood.
When to Get Help for DepressionIf you are experiencing symptoms of depression for over two weeks it’s important to consult with a mental health provider, or other healthcare provider.
When to Get Help for Depression
If you are experiencing symptoms of depression for over two weeks it’s important to consult with a mental health provider, or other healthcare provider.
As symptoms increase, so too do the accompanying emotions of anxiety and stress, causing an unrelenting cycle that can quickly wear down a person’s emotional well-being.
Stress and Eczema
To effectively cope with eczema, it’s important to understand the link between eczema and stress, this involves the body’s fight or flight response. The fight-or-flight response is a physical reaction to an event that is seen as harmful (such as an attack or a threat to a person’s survival).
When the fight-or-flight response is triggered, stress hormones are released (such as cortisol and adrenaline). But, when the body releases too much cortisol (from frequent stress), it can result in lowering the immune system and triggering an inflammatory response in the skin. People with eczema are very sensitive to the body’s response to stress/fight-or-flight response.
Tips for Reducing Stress
Although getting rid of stress in your life certainly won’t result in a cure, it may help to alleviate some of the symptoms of eczema.
Action steps that may alleviate or lower stress include:
Relaxation Methods for Stress Relief
There are a variety of ways to integrate a relaxation routine into your daily schedule. Some methods may work better for you than others. You may not discover which type of relaxation method works best unless you’ve tried several techniques and given each your best effort.
Some examples of relaxation techniques include:
Many people with eczema experience sleep deprivation, which is said to be a sign that symptoms are not well controlled. Not getting enough sleep on a regular basis has a profound impact on a person’s emotional well-being (particularly for children and teenagers who are still growing and developing). Getting enough sleep is imperative for overall physical and mental health.
At night, itching can be the most problematic because there are no activities to help distract a person. Tips on improving sleep from the National Eczema Association include:
General tips on improving your sleep pattern andtreatment of insomniainclude:
Regular aerobic exercise has been shown to help reduce tension, stabilize mood, promote sleep, and improve self-esteem. These benefits help contribute to a reduction in stress.
It’s important to establish a regular exercise routine (with your healthcare provider’s approval). Exercise has been shown to lower stress levels, reducing flare-ups for people with skin conditions such as eczema.
Although the heat and sweating generated from a vigorous workout can contribute to eczema flareups, there are methods of managing eczema so that people who have the condition can realize the many benefits of regular workouts.
Children and Physical Activity
It’s vital for kids to engage in regular physical activity for many reasons. Not only does exercise help children burn off energy, it also lends itself to healthy development of muscles and bones and helps kids maintain a healthy height to weight ratio.
In addition, hormonal development (which naturally occurs during the teenage years) happens during sleep. A child requires a healthy sleep pattern for normal hormone development. Regular exercise has been found in studies to help to improve sleep.
Sports activities can help kids feel good about themselves. Participating in team sports helps to build healthy relationships with other kids. Setting and meeting goals (such as goals for faster running times) can help kids feel a great sense of accomplishment.
Overcoming Exercise Effects on Eczema
But what about the negative impact that exercise can have on eczema? Here are some tips from the Eczema Foundation on how overcoming the downside of exercise for those with eczema:
Participating in a support group where one can share their frustrations, exchange tips for coping with eczema and offer encouragement to others, going through similar challenges, can help.
The National Eczema Association offers anonline community of people with eczemawho are there to share their experiences and offer hope. You can connect with the group on Facebook and Twitter and learn about the latest research and news pertaining to new developments in eczema treatment.
Coping With Eczema
A relatively new type of therapy for people with skin conditions—such as eczema—is called psychodermatology. The therapy focuses on the psychological issues involved in skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema.
This field of psychology is said to be well-established in Europe but is slow to becoming a mainstream therapy in the U.S. There are only a few psychodermatology clinics around the country. You can find a limited list of therapists who specialize in this type of therapy at theAssociation for Psychoneurocutaneous Medicine of North America site.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Eczema Association.Eczema facts.American Osteopathic Association.Eczema impacts physical and mental health of 31M Americans.Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego.Eczema physical and emotional effects.National Eczema Association.Eczema and emotional health.National Institutes of Health.Depression overview.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Physical activity reduces stress.Jones, K. National Eczema Association.How to exercise safely with eczema.Eczema Foundation.Sport and atopic eczema.Clay, R. The American Psychological Association.The link between skin and psychology. How psychologists are helping patients with dermatological problems.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Eczema Association.Eczema facts.American Osteopathic Association.Eczema impacts physical and mental health of 31M Americans.Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego.Eczema physical and emotional effects.National Eczema Association.Eczema and emotional health.National Institutes of Health.Depression overview.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Physical activity reduces stress.Jones, K. National Eczema Association.How to exercise safely with eczema.Eczema Foundation.Sport and atopic eczema.Clay, R. The American Psychological Association.The link between skin and psychology. How psychologists are helping patients with dermatological problems.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Eczema Association.Eczema facts.American Osteopathic Association.Eczema impacts physical and mental health of 31M Americans.Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego.Eczema physical and emotional effects.National Eczema Association.Eczema and emotional health.National Institutes of Health.Depression overview.Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Physical activity reduces stress.Jones, K. National Eczema Association.How to exercise safely with eczema.Eczema Foundation.Sport and atopic eczema.Clay, R. The American Psychological Association.The link between skin and psychology. How psychologists are helping patients with dermatological problems.
National Eczema Association.Eczema facts.
American Osteopathic Association.Eczema impacts physical and mental health of 31M Americans.
Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego.Eczema physical and emotional effects.
National Eczema Association.Eczema and emotional health.
National Institutes of Health.Depression overview.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Physical activity reduces stress.
Jones, K. National Eczema Association.How to exercise safely with eczema.
Eczema Foundation.Sport and atopic eczema.
Clay, R. The American Psychological Association.The link between skin and psychology. How psychologists are helping patients with dermatological problems.
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